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Drunk Driving Facts That Will Change Your Life

Addictive drugs are, by nature, dangerous. We all know what hard drugs like crystal meth, cocaine, and heroin can do to our bodies and our lives in general. These illegal substances can wreak havoc on addicts and their families as well. Over the decades, so many people have died of accidental overdose, and this continues to happen despite massive government campaigns against illicit drugs.

However, none of the misfortunes attributed to heroin et al. can hold a candle to the misery that one particular drug has visited and continues to visit upon countless people. Worse, of all, this drug is legal and can be brought at your neighborhood store once you’re of age.

The drug in question is alcohol, and it’s the world’s most dangerous addictive drug. It is responsible for so many deaths due to cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, and pancreatitis. Alcohol also triggers violent behavior, giving rise to countless homicides.

Then there’s drunk driving, which has led to countless unfortunate road accidents, many of which have claimed people’s lives. Yet people still drink and drive and end up getting stopped for a DUI or worse, wrapping their car around a tree.

Let’s take a look at some drunk driving facts, which we could only hope people wouldn’t ignore.

Drunk driving is a crime

If you’re not worried about drinking and driving because you believe it’s something you can easily get away with, then someone lied to you. All states consider driving under the influence or DUI as a crime, and as such, it comes with consequences like jail time, probation, and hefty fines.

If it’s your first DUI, then you might just be slapped with a misdemeanor. However, you could be facing felony charges if your drunk driving hurt or killed someone. Jail sentences for people convicted of a felony are longer, and the fines are steeper.

Drunk driving can burn a hole in your pocket
To give you an idea of how costly drunk driving can get, car crashes caused by intoxicated drivers cost an estimated $52 billion a year in the United States alone.

And if you get arrested for a DUI, know that its cost can also drive you to the poorhouse. On top of the litigation costs and the heavy fines that come with a conviction, the court can also order you to pay for damages which could become sky-high. The jail time you will have to serve also means you won’t be able to work, and the lost wages will make it even harder for you to raise the money to pay for the fines and the damages.

A person dies in a drunk-driving crash every 50 minutes
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, drunk-driving accidents in 2016 have claimed the lives of 29 people on a daily basis. That’s one drunk-driving death every 50 minutes.

Less than 0.08 BAC doesn’t mean you’re not impaired
If your blood alcohol concentration or BAC is at 0.08 or above, then you are considered legally impaired in most states, and you will most certainly be arrested if police officers stop you on suspicion of drunk driving.

Most people would take that to mean that if their BAC is below 0.08, then they aren’t impaired and should go on their merry way. The truth is, studies have shown that even a BAC of only 0.02 can already affect a person’s driving skills. You may not get arrested for a DUI in some states when your BAC is below the legal limit, but you could still figure in an accident because of your impaired driving.

We could only hope that the facts above would make you think twice about driving drunk.